Flanged body with flange reinforcing ribs

ABSTRACT

A so-called filament wound article having an annular flange and a longitudinal rib buttressing the flange. The latter comprises one or more synthetic resin impregnated, helical windings of fiber glass roving, tape, or the like. Rib reinforcing elements of similar materials are embedded in and extend lengthwise of the rib and have ends interspersed with and entangled with the flange reinforcing windings. Thus, the reinforcing elements of the rib and the flange are mechanically interlocked for increased strength.

United States Patent 1 Quirk 1 1 Aug. 7, 1973 FLANGED BODY WITH FLANGEREINFORCING RIBS [75] Inventor: Robert W. Quirk, Los Angeles,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: Rheem Fluid Systems, Inc.,

Chatsworth, Calif.

[22] Filed: Dec. 17, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 209,215

[52] US. Cl 251/366, 156/173, 242/721 [51] Int. Cl F16k 27/00. [58]Field of Search 251/366, 367, 356, 251/368; 242/721, 7.19; 156/172, 173,425, 446

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,878,038 3/1959 Noland156/172 X 3,189,500 6/1965 Escher 156/173 X 3,397,847 8/1968 Thaden156/425 X 3,484,317 12/1969 Dickerson 156/425 X 3,552,665 1/1971 Kelly242/721 3,673,029 6/1972 McLarty 156/172 X 3,697,346 10/1972 Van Dorn eta1 156/172 X 2,208,180 7/1940 Delleani 251/366 X 2,337,841 12/1943Shafer 251/324 X 3,206,530 9/1965 Botelet 251/368 X 3,395,890 8/1968Eckert et a1. 251/368 X 2,903,236 9/1959 Holycross et a1. 251/3662,989,990 6/1961 Bass et a1 251/368 X 3,383,089 5/1968 Baxter 251/3663,638,908 2/1972 Grove 251/366 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 59,24212/1953 France 251/367 62,271 12/1948 Netherlands 251/367 843,485 7/1952Germany 251/366 lfg'mqry lixaminer-Samuel Scott Attorney-Ford W. Harris,Jr., Walter Eugene Tinsley et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Thepresent invention relates in general to so-called filament woundarticles or products and, more particularly, to a flanged article ofthis character having flange reinforcing ribs buttressing the flange orflanges of the article.

More particularly, the invention relates to articles made of syntheticresin impregnated fibrous materials. Preferably such reinforcingmaterials as fiber glass roving,.woven tape, and the like, are used, butthe invention is not necessarily limited thereto.

For convenience, the invention will be considered herein in connectionwith a flanged valve body having longitudinal flange reinforcing ribsbuttressing the flanges of the valve body. Again, however, it will beunderstood that the invention is not limited thereto and may be appliedto any flanged body having one or more flange reinforcing ribsbuttressing the flange or flanges of the body.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF INVENTION The primary object of the presentinvention is to provide a flanged article having a flange buttressingrib wherein the flange and the rib are reinforced by fibrous elementsmechanically interlocked within the flange. More particularly, animportant object of the invention is to provide an article of theforegoing general nature having flange reinforcing elements embedded inand extending lengthwise of the flange, and having rib reinforcingelements embedded in and extending lengthwise of the rib and having endsinterspersed with the flange reinforcing elements. A related object isto provide an article of this character wherein the flange is annularand the flange reinforcing elements comprise convolutions of a helicalwinding or windings.

Yet another object is to provide a construction of the foregoing naturewherein the interspersed rib and flange reinforcing elements aresynthetic resin impregnated to mechanically lock them together, therebymaking the flange and the rib, in effect, an integral structure, whichis an important feature.

Still another important object is to provide a method of making anarticle having an annular flange and a flange buttressing rib, includingthe steps of: positioning rib reinforcing elements longitudinally of amandrel; winding a flange reinforcing element around the mandreladjacent the rib reinforcing elements; and periodically interspersingends of one or more of the rib reinforcing elements with theconvolutions of the flange reinforcing winding.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the presentinvention, together with various other objects, advantages, features andresults which will be evident to those skilled in the art in the lightof this disclosure, may be achieved with the exemplary embodimentillustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detailhereinafter.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a ball valve having a body provided withannular flanges and flange buttressing ribs in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of valve body forming shells utilized in theinvention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views respectively taken alongthe arrowed lines 3-3 and 4--4 of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 5 to 8 are views, partly in elevation and partly in section,illustrating successive steps in interlocking flange and rib reinforcingelements in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION Referringinitially to FIG. 1 of the drawings, illustrated therein is a ball valve10 comprising a T-shaped valve body 12 provided intermediate its endswith a neck 14 having therein a rotatable stem 16 for actuating a valveball, not shown, within the valve body. At the ends of the valve body 12are annular flanges 18 by means of which the valve body 12 may besecured in a pipe line, or to other fittings. The flanges 18 arebuttressed by longitudinal ribs 20 on the valve body 12.

As will be explained, the flanges l8 and the ribs 20 are reinforced byfibrous elements, such as fiber glass roving, tape, rope, or the like,impregnated by a suitable synthetic resin, the ends of the ribreinforcing ele ments being interspersed with and interlocked with theflange reinforcing elements. The latter are preferably applied byhelically winding a fibrous reinforcing ele ment or elements around amandrel. The rib reinforcing elements may be applied in various ways,the one disclosed hereinafter being illustrative only.

Turning for the moment to FIGS. 5 to 8 of the drawings, illustratedtherein is a hollow valve body core 22 which is adapted to receive thevalve ball and the actuating stem 16 therein and which is: of anysuitable construction. For example, it may have been formed by afilament winding process.

The core 22 is mounted on a suitable removable mandrel 24 carryingwinding limiting annular flanges 26 spaced from the respective ends ofthe core.

Bonded to the core .22 are two valve body half shells 28 which may besecured in place by a suitable split clamp 30. The shells 28, which areperhaps best shown in FIG 2, constitute the exterior of the valve body12 and cooperate to provide at the ends of the valve body annularflanges 32. When the core 22 and the shells 28 are mounted on themandrel 24, the annular flanges 32 are spaced axially inwardly from therespective winding limiting flanges 26. As will become apparent, theannular flanges 32 also serve winding limiting functions.

The two shells 38 are provided therein with circumferentially spaced,internal longitudinal channels 34. The outer surfaces of these channelsconstitute the outer surfaces of the flange buttressing ribs 20 of thefinal product 10.

As best shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, molded into the channels 34,and extending longitudinally thereof, are rib reinforcing elements 36,which may comprise fiber glass rovings, woven tapes, or the like. Therib reinforcing elements 36 may be molded into the channels 34 with anysuitable synthetic resin, and in any suitable manner. For example, therib reinforcing elements 36 may be resin impregnated before placement inthe channels 34, sufficient quantities of synthetic resin being utilizedto insure that the rib reinforcing elements and the synthetic resincompletely fill the channels.

The rib reinforcing elements 36 are substantially longer than thechannels, as clearly shown in FIGS. 5 to 8. As shown on the left side ofFIG. 5, the elements 36 may be separate elements the ends of which aretied together for convenience. Alternatively, as shown on the right sideof FIG. 5, the rib reinforcing elements 36 may be formed by convolutionsof a continuous multiconvolution loop of fibrous material. This loop canbe cut to provide the individual rib reinforcing elements 36. As shownin FIGS. 6 to 8, a suitable holding means 38 for the lower ends of therib reinforcing elements 36 may be mounted on the clamp 30.

The annular flanges 18 of the final product are formed bycircumferentially and/or helically winding resin impregnated flangereinforcing elements 40 on the mandrel 24 in the spaces between thewinding limiting flanges 26 and the respective winding limiting flanges32. This may be accomplished readily by rotating the mandrel 24 whilefeeding the resin impregnated flange reinforcing elements 40 thereontoin helical patterns.

As previously indicated, the present invention in effect structurallyintegrates the annular flanges l8 and the flange buttressing ribs of thefinal product 10 by interspersing and mechanically interlocking the ribreinforcing elements 36 and the flange reinforcing elements 40. As willbe clear from FIGS. 6 and 7, the lower ends of the rib reinforcingelements 36 are interspersed with the convolutions of the flangereinforcing elements 40 automatically, as the flange reinforcingelements 40 are wound, by releasing the lower ends of the ribreinforcing elements 36 one, or a few, at a time. As this is done, thereleased lower ends of the rib reinforcing elements 36 becomeinterspersed with and entangled with the convolutions of the flangereinforcing elements 40 and are carried circumferentially around withthe flange reinforcing elements. (As a matter of convenience, the endsof the rib reinforcing elements 36 are shown as interspersed with theflange reinforcing elements 40 in groups.) In actual practice, however,the rib reinforcing elements 36 will be interspersed with the flangereinforcing elements 40 singly, or in smaller groups, to achieve muchmore uniform interspersing, something which cannot readily be shownclearly in the drawings.

After one of the annular flanges 18 has been completed in the foregoingmanner, as shown in FIG. 7, the partly finished valve 10 is inverted andthe same process is repeated to form the other annular flange 18, asshown in FIG. 8. It will be understood that the rib reinforcing elements36 in the channel 34 which extends longitudinally across the neck 14 ofthe valve 10 must be removed from the opening in the neck for the valveactuating stem 16.

As will be apparent, the method of the invention, and its resultingproduct, provide rib buttressed flanges which are structurally tiedtogether in such a way as to form virtually integral units, therebyadding materially to the strength of the resulting product, which is animportant feature of the invention.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed forpurposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes,modifications, and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodimentwithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by theclaims appearing hereinafter.

I claim:

1. In an article having a flange and having a flange reinforcing ribbuttressing said flange, the combination of:

a. flange reinforcing elements comprising fibrous strands embedded inand extending lengthwise of said flange; and

b. rib reinforcing elements comprising fibrous strands embedded in andextending lengthwise of said rib and having ends projecting beyond saidrib and interspersed with said flange reinforcing strands.

2. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said flange is annular andsaid flange reinforcing strands comprise convolutions of a helicalwinding.

3. In an article having spaced flanges with reinforcing ribs buttressingsaid flanges, the combination of:

flange reinforcing elements in each of said flanges and comprisingfibrous strands embedded in and extending lengthwise of the flange; and

rib reinforcing elements for each of said ribs and comprising fibrousstrands embedded in and extending lengthwise of the rib and having endsprojecting beyond said rib and interspersed with the flange reinforcingstrands of each of said flanges.

4. A method of making an article having an annular flange and a flangereinforcing rib buttressing said flange, including the steps of:

a. positioning rib reinforcing elements longitudinally of a mandrel;

b. winding a flange reinforcing element around the mandrel adjacent saidrib reinforcing elements; and

c. periodically interspersing ends of one or more of said ribreinforcing elements with the convolutions of said flange reinforcingelement.

2. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said flange is annular andsaid flange reinforcing strands comprise convolutions of a helicaLwinding.
 3. In an article having spaced flanges with reinforcing ribsbuttressing said flanges, the combination of: flange reinforcingelements in each of said flanges and comprising fibrous strands embeddedin and extending lengthwise of the flange; and rib reinforcing elementsfor each of said ribs and comprising fibrous strands embedded in andextending lengthwise of the rib and having ends projecting beyond saidrib and interspersed with the flange reinforcing strands of each of saidflanges.
 4. A method of making an article having an annular flange and aflange reinforcing rib buttressing said flange, including the steps of:a. positioning rib reinforcing elements longitudinally of a mandrel; b.winding a flange reinforcing element around the mandrel adjacent saidrib reinforcing elements; and c. periodically interspersing ends of oneor more of said rib reinforcing elements with the convolutions of saidflange reinforcing element.